Wednesday, October 21, 2009

"Pen-pen." That's what unlicensed motorcycle taxis are called in Monrovia, Liberia, according to a variety of posts on this interesting blog called The Esteyonage.

Moto – or ‘pen-pen’ - drivers are exclusively young men, often written off as ex-combatants and criminals by society at large. In reality, most of them are super nice, and are driving bikes so that they do not HAVE to be criminals.

Pen-pen drivers spend pretty severe amounts of time on the road. Twelve hours is about average for most riders, but a lot come out and drive before or after a class, teaching, or working another odd job.

The blog has lots more on the cast-off clothing trade, itinerant water sellers, and roadside money changers.

About Me

I spent most of the past four years hanging out with street hawkers, smugglers, and sub-rosa import/export firms to write Stealth of Nations, a book that chronicles the global growth of System D--the parallel economic arena that today accounts for half the jobs on the planet.
Prior to that, I lived in squatter communities across four continents to write Shadow Cities, a book that attempts to humanize these vibrant, energetic, and horribly misunderstood communities.
My articles on cities, politics, and economic issues have appeared in many publications, including Harper's, Scientific American, Forbes, Fortune, The Nation, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Metropolis, and City Limits. Before becoming a reporter, I worked as a community organizer and studied philosophy. I live in New York City and do most of my writing on manual typewriters.